Editor Charles H. Smith's Note: An early letter co-authored by Wallace printed on page 319 of
the Appendix to the Reports of the Select Committee of the House of Commons on Public
Petitions. Session 1846. To link directly to this page, connect with:
http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/wallace/S001B.htm

App. 630. Mr. John Henry Vivian. Sig. 16.

6753. The humble Petition of the undersigned Proprietors and Members of the Public Library
at Neath, in Glamorganshire.

That the institution of which your Petitioners are proprietors and members was established in
the year 1818.

That your Petitioners have learned with much satisfaction that a Bill is now before your
honourable House, intituled, "Corresponding Societies and Lecture Rooms Bill," which has for
its object the repeal of certain parts of an old statute, 39 Geo. III. c. 79, by which heavy
pecuniary penalties are imposed upon all persons connected with rooms used for lectures,
discussion, news rooms, or libraries, unless licensed in every year by two justices of the peace,
and by which statute powers are also given to revoke such licence at any time.

That this Act, which by its title professes to apply only to societies established for seditious
and treasonable purpose, has in recent cases been held to apply to ordinary lecture rooms.

That the only plea for the continuance of such statute could be the dangers to be apprehended
from seditious and treasonable meetings,--dangers which from the enlightened and liberal policy
of Government happily now no longer exist.

Your Petitioners consider that the formalities required by this statute are a hinderance,
vexatious and uncalled for, to societies established for the advancement of knowledge and the
progressive improvement of mankind.

And your Petitioners therefore would pray your honourable House to pass the proposed Bill
into a law, by which the objectionable statute, as above, may be repealed.